We are still a couple of months away from the tip-off of the college basketball season this fall, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with new Sacramento State coach David Patrick, who talked about his famous godson and his expectations for this season.
You were born in Bermuda/raised in Australia: how did you 1st get into basketball? We did not play basketball in Bermuda and after moving to Australia I started playing Australian Rules Football. There was a basketball court near my house and I ended up falling in love with the sport.
You began your college career at Syracuse where you made the 1996 NCAA title game before a 9-PT loss to Kentucky: how close did you come to winning it all, and where does that Wildcat team (featuring 9 future NBA players!) rank among the greatest that you have ever seen? I tell the young kids now about guys like Ron Mercer/Walter McCarty but they do not know them. I think that Wildcat team was 1 of the best ever. Players do not stay in college that long any more so being in the Big East and going against future Hall of Famers like Ray Allen/Allen Iverson was a phenomenal era. Playing for Jim Boeheim then helped me as a coach now.
In 2015 you got to coach your godson Ben Simmons as an assistant at LSU: how much did you enjoy spending that year together, and how do you think he will do in Brooklyn this season? It was phenomenal to spend time with him because we are like family. It was the last time that he was not under the professional microscope and was able to just be a kid/be innocent. It was awesome to be part of his journey: he has a lot of critics but he finally has a fresh start in Brooklyn. Remember: the last time he was out for 18 months he came back as NBA ROY. Patty Mills will be a mentor to him and help him moving forward.
You won the 2017 NIT as an assistant to Jamie Dixon at TCU: what did it mean to you to win a title? We took over a team at TCU that had only won one Big 12 game the previous year so to win the NIT was huge. The team bought into what Jamie was preaching and we taught them how to win. We had guys like Desmond Bane who was not a 5-star like Ben but still made it to the NBA.
In your 1st year as head coach at UC Riverside your team’s 37.9 3P% was top-30 in the nation, and in your 2nd year your team was #8 in the nation with 60.6 PPG allowed: do you feel like you are a better offensive or defensive coach, or do you take more pride in succeeding at 1 end of the court than the other? In our heads we all think we are offensive coaches when we design plays, but everyone who has played/worked for me would call me a defensive coach. I had a lot of great mentors including Jamie/Randy Bennett: if you can defend/rebound then it is a separator.
Last April you were hired as head coach at Sacramento State: why did you take the job, and how is it going so far? This is my 2nd time around as a head coach so I do not take the opportunity lightly. There is an alignment with our president/athletic director: they understand how to build a program and will give me the resources to do so. To be in northern California near my daughters and in the great city of Sacramento: I could not be happier.
You play your home games at The Nest, which is 1 of the smallest gyms in the nation (seating capacity: 1,012): does it feel weird after starting your college career at the largest gym in the nation (Carrier Dome seating capacity: 35,642)? It is a little different! I have been in some big environments…as well as some big gyms where nobody shows up. I have been here as an opposing coach and it got loud so I hope that we have the best home-court advantage in the conference. The size does not matter: just the wins that come behind it.
Your roster is about 50% from California and 50% from foreign countries: what sort of recruiting philosophy do you have? You want to build any program from the inside out. We want to keep the best players in Sacramento here but if they leave and later enter the transfer portal then we will try to get them back. After that, via my connections in Australia, I think this is a great landing spot for foreign players. It is the closest coast to that side of the world and the weather is pretty similar to Australia. We have a history of developing players and treating them the right way.
You have previously worked with the Australian national team: do you think the team is capable of competing for an Olympic medal in 2024 with guys like Josh Giddey/Joe Ingles/Patty Mills? I think we can compete. We won the bronze in Tokyo but I tore my Achilles 2 days before we were scheduled to leave. If you look at our young talent we have guys like Jock Landale/Dyson Daniels, and if Ben joins the other veteran guys then I think we can challenge for a gold medal.
What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? I have high expectations. I look at what Coach Tommy Lloyd did at Arizona in his 1st year by winning the Pac-12 and being ranked among the best in the nation. It takes time but we have the pieces in place. I want us to be dominant at rebounding/defense and move the needle by getting a bye in the conference tourney, because then anything can happen. We have some grad transfers/seniors so at this level you want them to win at a high level both on and off the floor.